3 minutes
Jehoshaphat’s Great Idea
I just finished writing this and after reading it, I realize it sounds like a great boast and complaint session. So I will apologize here for what you are about to read. You might want to put in earplugs so the complaining doesn’t get too loud.
I was doing my Bible study in 2 Chronicles 17 and came across these verses regarding Jehoshaphat’s reign:
7 Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. 9 They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
When I was pastor at the Ark Church, the pattern of Bible study was established shortly after the church began. For me, Bible study was as important as any other meeting the church might hold. I am happy to say this continues to be true at The Ark. That the Bible is paramount to all that occurs at the Ark Church is her trademark.
While pastoring there, one of the activities I have received positive feedback on was what we called Individual Shepherding. The idea came from Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor.” In it, he emphasized the importance of the pastor meeting with his sheep to mentor and teach them.
A “catechism” was created from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Though the Ark Church is not a Reformed Church, truths from the Catechism were used to build The Ark Church Catechism. Every member was given the questions and the answers. Weekly, I had hour-long visits with each member and discussed the Q&A until it was fully understood. After we completed the Catechism, we spent another three weeks on how we can “Glorify God and Enjoy Him forever.” This was based on Thomas Watson’s “A Body of Divinity.”
This was time consuming and tiring work. However, if a pastor is not caring for his sheep, then what is he doing?
For Your Consideration
I see a problem in the church today. Most pastors (from the Latin pastorem meaning shepherd) think their job is to preach a sermon. That is part of pastoring, as feeding sheep is part of shepherding. However, a shepherd does much more than feed sheep. He guides, protects, and cares for his sheep.
In John 10, Jesus gives us several indications of what a good pastor looks like: he knows his sheep by name (John 10:3); he calls them; he leads them; he goes ahead of them (John 10:4); the sheep know him intimately enough that they recognize his voice; the shepherd lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). If this sounds foreign to your own experience, you might want to examine your situation. Jesus has titles for those who are doing otherwise: strangers (John 10:5), thieves, robbers (John 10:8), and hired hands (John 10:12). Although I know there are those who are outright thieves and robbers, I believe most “pastors” do not even realize that they are actually strangers and hired hands.
So imagine my delight when I read 2 Chronicles 17:7-9! Here is Jehoshaphat, still green as the king (i.e.: enthusiastic), recognizing the need of his people to know the word of God. He sends his Officials, Levites and Priests to go to the people and teach them the scriptures. He doesn’t send out benchwarmers. He sends out the starters. Notice, he doesn’t expect people to come. He goes to the people! It reminds me of what Jesus and Paul did.
In all my contacts with churches, the number of churches that are going out to their sheep to teach them the word of God is…none that I know of. The expectation is the people will come to the church for teaching. If they don’t, then…hmmm…I don’t know what they think about the spiritual growth of those people. I suppose they think, “Oh well.” or “Nothing I can do about that.” Now does that sound like the Shepherd Jesus was portraying?
I believe we live in the time Jesus spoke of when he said, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). We have pastors who are CEO’s. We have “Christians” who spend less time each week reading the Bible than they do filling the car up with gas or looking in the mirror. We have churches that don’t have prayer meetings and Bible studies because other things take priority and/or too few people participate. And the Shepherds aren’t going out into the fields to feed their sheep.
This is a call for pastors to be the kind of shepherd Jesus modeled. It is a call to Christians to desire to know God and His word in more than just a cursory manner. It is a call to Churches to go to the people with the scriptures since they aren’t coming to us. It is a call to be like Jehoshaphat.
Am I being too harsh? Do you think that if Jesus were to return today, He would say the faith He finds in the modern Church is hot, lukewarm or cold? If I am too severe, where would you correct me? If you agree with my assessment, what will you do to change what you can? Leave your comments below. God bless…